Animals found at predynastic Egyptian cemetery

From Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad of 28 June:

On a 5,700 years old animal cemetery in Hierakonpolis, southern Egypt, the buried skeleton of a young cat, which had been captive for one or more months before it died, has been found.

The archaeologists of the Katholieke Universiteut Leuven [in Belgium] who found the animal, think this was a captive cat, not a tame cat.

Soon, their article will be published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

At the cemetery, also remains were found of baboons, elephants, wild donkeys, hartebeest (an antelope species), hippopotamuses, and auerochs.

UPDATE: NRC 15 May 2008, page 11: Veerle Linseele et al. retract their earlier captive cat statement; they now think these remains were of Felis chaus.

Cat mummies of Egypt: here.

Cat taming in ancient Egypt: here. And here.

Genetic and archaeological findings hint that wildcats became house cats earlier–and in a different place–than previously thought: here.

Roman age Egyptian mummies found: here.

Ancient Egyptian ball game found: here.

Olive baboons: here.

Mummies in Egypt vs. in Yemen: here.

Animals mummified by the millions in Ancient Egypt: here.

Predynastic Egypt: here.